by Lee Watts
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." – Hebrews 13:2
(1,000 years ago)
Guiding Shania through the Ramillie complex, Pipaluk said little, not wanting to draw unwanted attention from her Ramillie masters. At last, in a secluded corner, she drew close to the new woman and whispered some advice.
"Don't look them in the eye. They don't like that; just look down and step aside when they pass."
Shania nodded, and Pipaluk smiled then waved for her to keep following, but Shania noticed they were bypassing a large door.
"What's in there?" she asked softly.
"Oh, they're having some big event in there tonight."
"What kind of an event?"
"I don't know, but there have been all kinds of important people arriving during the past few days. Here's the interesting part, almost none of them are Ramillie, but they let them fly in the ships and treat them like royalty."
"Odd," Shania noted. "But your Overlord Koraden isn't Ramillie, and you said he's the one in charge here."
"I don't understand it all; I'm not very smart."
"Who told you that?"
"Lots of-"
"You're as smart a girl as I've ever met. You're smart enough to know how to survive here, and that doesn't sound easy. Come on; I want to look in this room."
Pushing the door open only wide enough for her to slip in, she closed it again after the skinny waif followed her. From their vantage point, they could look down on the large circular platform in the center of the expansive chamber. Twelve poles, each a meter high, supported a strange metallic ring almost ten meters in diameter. Horizontal to the floor, the ring was etched with symbols. Shania hadn't beheld such markings for ages but knew what they meant. Hurriedly, she made her way down the narrow stairs in the back of the room. Reluctant and nervous, Pipaluk followed.
Shania drew close to the ring and began reading the engraved words on the side. Growing increasingly disturbed as she mumbled what was written, a dreadful sense of foreboding filled her. Completing the circle, she stepped back and placed a hand over her mouth in shock.
"Oh no," was all she could say.
"What?" Pipaluk asked. "What is it?"
"Pipaluk," Shania began in utmost seriousness, "you mentioned a lot of visitors arrived recently who aren't Ramillie?"
"That's right?"
"And they're having a special ceremony of some kind in here tonight?"
"Yes, I heard them talking. It's going to be after we all leave tonight."
"Then there's no time to lose. This is bigger than I thought. I'll have to contact Merrick," she reasoned aloud to herself.
"We should leave," Pipaluk pleaded. "We're not supposed to be in here. If they catch you breaking a rule, they… punish you."
"Have they hurt you, Pipaluk?"
"They hit me sometimes, but I've seen where they take those who break the big rules. It's in the under levels with the Elderites."
"Elderites?"
"Yes, the Ramillie hate them. When they first came to our planet, they rounded up all they could find and they… punish them there."
"These under levels, how do we get there?"
"Oh, you don't want to go there; it's a horrible place."
"Pipaluk, I have a friend who the Ramillie would have taken there. I have to find him."
"No, no I won't go there again," she said in growing distress. "I won't. I won't," she said as she began trembling.
Clearly terrified at the very thought of the under levels, Pipaluk's tears flowed freely. Shania embraced the shaking girl who rasped between sobs.
"I won't. I won't."
"You don't have to go, Little One. No, I won't make you. It'll be alright," she comforted as she tightly hugged the frightened child.
It was only the second time since Pipaluk's parents died that anyone had shown her the slightest bit of kindness. Like a drowning person clinging on for dear life, her frail arms squeezed Shania, and she wept deeply - a child starved for tenderness. Releasing all the fear and loneliness she'd kept pent up, Pipaluk heaved in grief. Shania cried too, her heartbreaking for this young girl who had endured so much, who was so alone, and afraid. After several minutes, Pipaluk, at last, released her grip on Shania and stepped back, wiping away her tears.
"I'm… I'm sorry."
"Don't be, Little One. You've gone through more than anyone should have to bear, especially at your age, but I'm here now, and I'm going to help you."
"Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?"
"No."
"Then you should come home with me. It's not much, but I'd like somebody to talk to."
"I'd like that, but let's leave before someone notices us."
Finishing their daily tasks, the servants departed the lavish Citadel. It was on these walks home, seeing the waiting families welcoming their loved ones back that Pipaluk felt the most isolated and abandoned, but tonight was different. She had someone with her, someone to talk to - someone who made her feel safe. It was something she hadn't felt in eight long years.
"This is it," she announced stopping in front of a hovel unfit for a child to play in let alone live. Smiling warmly, Shania ducked through the entrance and looked around. She noticed the tattered blankets layered on the floor that passed for Pipaluk's bed. Taking a seat on the floor, Pipaluk lit some candles and placed them throughout her one-room dwelling.
"I love candlelight," the girl observed taking joy in the little flame. Going to tattered box, she pulled out two chipped plates and sat them down in front of her guest. Returning to the box, she withdrew a knife, three browning fruits, and an orange-colored vegetable.
"It's not much," she shrugged self-consciously while placing the food, "but it keeps the hunger pains away."
Had Shania been on the verge of death, she couldn't bear to take a single bite of anything away from the half-starved child.
"Here," Shania said reaching into her pack. "I've brought some things too. We can share them."
It wasn't' much - two protein bars, a shiny piece of red fruit, and a bottle of clear water, but to Pipaluk it seemed a banquet.
"Shall we pray?"
"Pray?" the girl asked. "Why?"
"To thank the Elder for what we have."
The very mention of the Elder's name made Pipaluk look over her shoulder at the window to see if someone was listening.
"Why are you afraid, Little One? The Ramillie can't hear us here."
"I know, but there are people in the village who tell them things. They do it for food or money. That's how they found out about my parents. They were Elderites, but someone told, and one night the Ramillie came in and took them away."
"Did you ever see them again?"
"Yes, a few days later they dumped them out at our home…they were dead."
"I'm so sorry."
"Nobody wanted to be around me after that. They kept calling me Elderite and threatened to tell the Ramillie. There was one lady who was nice to me, Mrs. Elise. She helped me bury my parents on the hill over there. You can see it from the window. It's really nice in the spring. Heart flowers grow there."
"Heart flowers? What are they?"
"Oh, they were my mom's favorite. She used to love when I would collect a bouquet of them for her from the fields. Here, I have one."
Getting up, the child searched through a pile of what most would consider junk but was doubtless the girl's entire possessions. Finding what she sought, Pipaluk returned holding a flower with a bright red center and delicate white petals.
"This is amazing," Shania marveled. "In all my travels, I've never seen anything like it."
"They're my favorite," Pipaluk smiled. "I try to get a bouquet for her every year and place it on her grave."
"I'm sure she'd like that."
"I hope so. I miss her so much.
"You can see her again."
"But... but she's gone."
"Dear One, she's with the Elder
now in Paradise. You can be too one day - if you'll ask the Elder into your heart. Do you believe in the Elder, Pipaluk?"
Blushing in shame, the girl shook her head.
"Why not? Your parents did."
"Yes, but I told you what happened to them. It happens to all the Elderites. I don't want to be an Elderite. You haven't seen what they do to them. It's terrible. I've had to go there sometimes to bring the masters different things, it's…" Her voice trailed off as her mind's eye brought up an image, but she quickly forced it away and finished the thought,"…a dark place. I have nightmares about it. No. No way. I don't want to be an Elderite."
Shania didn't know where to begin. The poor child was so frightened, and rightfully so. She gave a quick inner prayer asking for the words to share with her.
"How about you let me do the praying for the food, and we'll go from there?"
Pipaluk nodded but held up a finger. Standing, she crossed to the window and pulled the ragged curtain closed then returned to her spot on the floor. Shania smiled and then began in a hushed voice.
"Elder, Creator of the Universe, I thank you for letting me meet Pipaluk today. I thank you for this food you've allowed us to have and to share. Be with us here and guide me in the tasks ahead, amen."
Opening her eyes, Shania saw Pipaluk staring at her with a confused look. Clearly, she didn't know when a prayer was over. With a wink and a nod, Shania let her know it was okay to eat. Savoring each precious bite, Pipaluk took small pieces, chewing each well.
"Pipaluk, did your parents ever tell you about the Elder?"
"I think so. I remember some, but not too much. Sometimes I can't even remember their faces. I feel so ashamed when it happens. They're the only people who ever really loved me."
"I know someone else who loves you… Elkanah."
"Elkanah?"
Listening to Shania, Pipaluk took another tiny morsel of the protein bar. It was the most sumptuous thing she had ever tasted. As the girl savored the meal, Shania explained how the Elder sent Elkanah to make a way for anyone's error's to be paid for there was forgiveness for any who will trust in him.
"...someone who would do that for us," the Guardian concluded, "has shown the greatest love of all. So that's someone else who loves you, Pipaluk. It's Elkanah. Will you accept His offer of love? Will you right now confess your errors and ask Elkanah to come into your heart?"
Ashamed of her errors, broken-hearted and hurting, Pipaluk wanted to feel the love Shania talked about but was hesitant.
"I'm scared," she shuttered. "What if they find out? They'll take me away."
"Little One, I wish I could tell you that accepting Elkanah would make all the bad things go away, but I can't. But know this, I will do all I can to keep you safe."
Unseen by the physical eye, one of the dark spirits whispered in the girl's mind.
They'll kill you if you accept Elkanah. Such pain. Agony. They'll find out. You can't hide it from them.
Pipaluk shook her head from the internal turmoil. She wanted love, forgiveness, and to be in Paradise with her parents, but she was afraid.
THEY'LL FIND YOU, the Dridmor spirit screamed at Pipaluk in desperation as he saw the girl on the brink of accepting Elkanah. DO IT LATER WHEN IT'S SAFE! YOU CAN DO IT, BUT LATER! Not now. You'll lose what little you have. Do it later… later.
Pursing her lips, Pipaluk looked away. She knew she'd let her friend down.
"I'm sorry Shania; I can't."
Knowing better than to hound the distraught girl, Shania let it go for the time being.
"Will you stay with me… anyway?"
"Yes, I'll stay," Shania answered warmly. "But late tonight I'm going to see if I can get back in the Citadel. I've got to see about this ceremony. There must be a way in there."
"I know a way."
"You do?"
"Yes, I used to go there when I was little to get the food they would throw out, but there are big animals there now. They almost caught me once. I've heard they'll eat people. It's not safe. What will happen if the Ramillie find you?"
"I'm not sure what the future holds, Little One, but I do know who holds the future."
CHAPTER 17
"…the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance."
– Psalm 112:6
Entering the Dalban system, Merrick allowed Jaiden to pilot their scout craft. Having spent all but the past ten months on the island-jungle world of Acatus V, it was Jaiden's boyhood dream to fly the stars and experience the wonders of technology his fellow castaways spoke of so frequently. Though it was the teenager's first time steering a ship, having learned to read from a starship manual, he did it with great competence. Guiding the craft out of lightdrive, he set a heading toward the second planet.
Reaching the green and tan world, the ship smoothly banked, setting a vector toward the time-worn temple on the southern continent then landed. As the group descended the boarding ramp, their eyes were stung by the dry, heated air blowing firmly in from the desert. Late afternoon, the shadows were long, but the temperature remained uncomfortably high. Aulani checked the strap holding her vine-whip curled in place at her hip. Jaiden was armed with a pistol, but his sister never felt as comfortable with guns as she did with her preferred weapon.
Reaching where the grass gave way to the desert sands, they saw an aged building in disrepair. The sizeable ancient temple of stone and wood wasn't what Aulani expected. Circular, with a high domed roof, the one-room structure looked long-abandoned. Adjacent was a small courtyard with crumbling grave markers. Red and white flowers, like the one Merrick had taken from the box, grew wild in the nearby field. The Guardian walked over and collected a handful of the blossoms, laying them on a spot near the center of the humble cemetery. Aulani reached down and plucked one of the flowers. Its interior was a deep, vibrant red and the velvet texture of the petals felt luxurious in her hands. The scent was sweet but understated. Even with all the flora she'd seen on Acatus, this surpassed them all by far.
Turning to the dilapidated structure, Merrick's mind flooded with memories.
"What is this place?" Aulani asked.
"This is where it all started," he recalled then after a long pause added, "and where it must end."
Turning to face the two mortals he reminded them of the agreement.
"You leave when I say - no arguing."
The siblings nodded, and Merrick returned the gesture before turning to enter the building. Warm colors of the setting sun bathed the circular chamber with hues of red and orange. Evidence of scavenging animals from the nearby forest was clear. Bits of chewed bones, tattered pieces of cloth, and a few half-used candles littered the stone floor.
"Of course," Merrick whispered while thinking to himself. "He found her here. It was the one place he knew she'd come."
"Who?" Aulani asked.
Before he could answer, a familiar voice echoed off the stone walls.
"Shania."
Looking quickly for the speaker of the name, they saw no one. It spoke again.
"Yes, I killed her here, right here, just as I'm going to kill you."
Merrick turned to his companions.
"Go. Now!"
The siblings wanted to protest, but bound by their pledge, immediately turned to leave. However, they were stopped by a pair of Ramillie guards blocking their exit. Aulani reached for her whip and Jaiden his pistol, but the weapons of the red-armored soldiers were already trained on them. Following the cue of a gestured rifle, the young pair had no choice but to discard their weapons to the ground.
"Stay," the mysterious voice mocked. "I'd enjoy an audience for this."
Still unable to locate the source because of the echo, Merrick looked about the darkening room for his opponent.
"Let them go, Koraden; it's me you want. They have nothing to do with this."
"They have everything to do with it," he seethed angrily then stepped out from the shadows of the narrow walkway running the inner edge of the dome. "Mortals a
re the battleground in this realm, and I think these two will make excellent sacrifices when I open the gate," Koraden jeered.
Merrick reached over his shoulder. In one fluid motion, he drew his battlestaff from its sheath and with a twist of the wrists unlocked the blades, separating the flaming swords.
"Oh Merrick," Koraden chuckled condescendingly, "how like you to bring a knife to a gun fight."
A squad of Ramillie troops stepped from the shadows of the walkway, their rifles aimed at the Guardian. Each was anxious for the order to kill.
"Time to see how good you really are," the Dridmor taunted with disdain.
Stepping into the fading light on the ledge-like walkway where Koraden was standing there came three more Dridmor. With unnatural prowess, they all leaped to the floor, each brandishing a battlestaff etched with symbols of ancient script. Two of them separated their blades into twin swords while the other attached his handle ends together forming a double-edged staff. Slowly, the trio of opponents closed in on the isolated Guardian. Aulani and Jaiden were near the entrance, and the guards there prevented them from helping their friend. As the circle of Dridmor tightened, Merrick eyed each of them carefully, continuously turning so no one could be at his back for too long. The four immortals stood in silence for several moments. Koraden laughed joyfully, enjoying each moment of his revenge.
"You know the prophecy Merrick, all the keyholders will die! Your hour has come." Drinking in the scene, Koraden stared down on the combat floor with immense satisfaction. Finally, he shouted, "ELAN!"
Immediately, one of the twin-sword warriors thrust his weapon in a feint. Anticipating the move, Merrick quickly sidestepped as another opponent charged fast at his back. Flaming blades whirled in vicious, lightning fast strikes as the dark warriors lashed deadly blows at the outnumbered Guardian. Merrick's skills were pushed to the absolute limit as he fended off the frenzied attacks of his immortal opponents. As one of the Dridmor advanced, Merrick sent a powerful spinning back kick to his chest, knocking the attacker back two steps. Pressing the attack, the twin blades of the closest Dridmor sliced wildly, forcing Merrick to step back while deflecting the burning blades. Moving to where all three opponents were in his sight, Merrick continued his defense. Soon he discovered the closer enemy's technique was the same one he'd worked so hard to drill out of Alexander - using only one blade at a time. Switching to attack instead of defense, the Guardian moved forward and took the initiative by using both blades to strike from different angles simultaneously. Unable to counter the attack, that Dridmor's defenses were breached, and Merrick plunged one of his swords deep into his opponent's heart.